System for Real-Time Communication Between Plural Users

1. A system for use in communication between a plurality of users: one or more service programs; and one or more collaboration initiation programs; wherein at least one of the one or more service programs and one or more collaboration programs are for: maintaining a first association between a first user and corresponding addressing information of a first communication device used by the first user to log in; maintaining a second association between a second user and corresponding addressing information of a second communication device used by the second user to log in, wherein the second communication device is separated from the first communication device by a wide area network; wherein the first and second associations are dynamically changeable by keeping track of client programs at the respective communication devices so that the first and second users, if logged in, can be found no matter where they are located; presenting a user interface on a display associated with the first communication device, the user interface including at least one of a scrollable list of identifiers of the plurality of users and a dial panel of identifiers for at least a subset of users from the scrollable list, wherein at least one of the scrollable list and the dial panel includes an identifier for the second user; allowing the first user to select the identifier of the second user from the user interface; if the second user is not logged in, indicating to the first user that the second user is not logged in; in response to the first user selecting the identifier of the second user and if the second user is logged in, using the addressing information of the second communication device to allow communication between the first and second users, the communication being established using either a communication type selected by the first user or a default communication type; detecting an incoming request for communication, from at least a third user, at the first communication device of the first user during an active communication with the second user; indicating to the first user the third user; and providing the first user with an option of accepting the incoming request for communication with the third user.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication includes real-time text.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein at least maintaining a first association is performed by at least one server.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first communication device is a wireless device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein selecting the identifier of the second user by the first user invokes a default communication type.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more collaboration initiation programs and the one or more service programs further are operable to allow the first user to: select one or more users from among the plurality of users, and add the selected one or more users to an existing communication.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more collaboration initiation programs and the one or more service programs further are operable to allow the first user to disconnect any one of the second and third users during an active communication between the first, second and third users.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more collaboration initiation programs and the one or more service programs further are operable to cause the communications to appear automatically on a display of the second communication device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more collaboration initiation programs and the one or more service programs further are operable to allow the second user to send an e-mail to the first user.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication includes at least one image.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one communication device is a computer.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dial panel includes at least a graphical icon representing the second user.

13. A system for use in real-time communication between a plurality of users, comprising: (a) one or more service programs; and (b) one or more collaboration initiation programs, wherein at least one of the one or more service programs and the one or more collaboration programs are for: maintaining a first association between a first user and corresponding addressing information of a first communication device used by the first user to log in, wherein the first communication device is a wireless device; maintaining a second association between a second user and corresponding addressing information of a second communication device used by the second user to log in, wherein the second communication device is separated from the first communication device by a wide area network; wherein the first and second associations are dynamically changeable by keeping track of client programs at the respective communication devices so that the first and second users, if logged in, can be found no matter where they are located; presenting a user interface on a display associated with the first communication device, the user interface including identifiers of the plurality of users including an identifier for the second user, wherein information associated with at least the second user is retrieved from at least one server; allowing the first user to select the identifier for the second user from the user interface; in response to the first user selecting the identifier of the second user and if the second user is logged in, using the addressing information of the second communication device to allow communication between the first and second users; allowing the first user to select a communication type for the communication between the first and second users; establishing communication between the first and second user using either the communication type selected by the first user or a default communication type; detecting an incoming request for communication, from at least a third user, at the first communication device of the first user during an active communication with the second user; indicating to the first user a corresponding identifier of the third user; and providing the first user with an option of accepting the incoming request for communication with the third user.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the identifiers include at least one graphical icon representing a user of the plurality of users.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one of the identifiers include a graphical icon representing the second user.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the communication includes video.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein maintaining a first association is performed by at least one server.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one communication device is a computer.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the communication includes at least audio.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the default communication type is invoked if the first user does not select a communication type.

21. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the one or more collaboration initiation programs and the one or more service programs further are operable to allow the first user to select or more users from among the plurality of users by selecting corresponding identifiers associated with the selected one or more users add the selected one or more users to an existing communication.

22. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the one or more collaboration initiation programs and the one or more service programs further are operable to allow the first user to disconnect any one of the second and third users during an active communications between the first, second and third users.

23. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the one or more collaboration initiation programs and the one or more service programs further are operable to allow the second user to send an e-mail to the first user.

24. The system of claim 13 , wherein the communications includes text.

25. A system for use in real-time communication between a plurality of users, comprising: one or more service; and one or more collaboration initiation programs, wherein at least one of the one or more service programs and the one or more collaboration programs are for: maintaining a first association between a first user and corresponding addressing information of a first communication device used by the first user to log in; maintaining a second association between the first user and corresponding addressing information of a second communication device used by the first user to log in; maintaining a third association between a second user and corresponding addressing information of a third communication device used by the second user to log in, wherein the third communication device separated from the at least one of the communication devices used by the first user to log in by a wide area network, wherein the first, second and third associations are dynamically changeable by keeping track of client programs at the respective communication devices so that the first and second users, if logged in, can be found no matter where they are located; presenting a user interface on a display associated with the first communication device, the user interface including at least one of a scrollable list of identifiers of the plurality of users and a dial panel of identifiers for at least a subset of users from the scrollable list, wherein at least one of the scrollable list and the dial panel includes an identifier for the second user; allowing the second user to select the first user from the user interface; allowing the first user to select the identifier for the second user from the user interface; if the second user is not logged in, indicating to the first user that the second user is not logged in; in response to the first user selecting the identifier of the second user and if the second user is logged in, using the addressing information of the third communication device to allow communication between the first and second users, the communication being established using either a communication type selected by the first user or a default communication type; detecting an incoming request for communication, from at least a third user, at the first communication device of the first user during an active communication with the second user; indicating to the first user a corresponding identifier of the third user; and providing the first user with an option of accepting the incoming request for communication.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the communication includes real-time text.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the communications includes video.

28. The system of claim 25 , wherein at least one of the scrollable list and the dial panel includes at least one graphical icon.

29. The system of claim 25 , wherein at least one of the one or more collaboration initiation programs and the one or more service programs further are operable to the first user to notify the third user of postponing the requested communication instead of accepting the requested communication.

30. The system of claim 25 , wherein at least one of the one or more collaboration initiation programs and the one or more service programs further are operable to allow the first user to: select one or more users from among the plurality of users, and add the selected one or more users to an existing communication.

31. The system of claim 25 , wherein at least one of the one or more collaboration initiation programs and the one or more service programs further are operable to allow the first user to disconnect any one of the second and third users during an active communication between the first, second and third users.

32. The system of claim 25 , wherein at least one of the one or more collaboration initiation programs and the one or more service programs further are operable to cause an indication of an attempt to initiate communications to appear automatically on the display of the second communication device.

33. The system of claim 25 , wherein maintaining a first association is performed by at least one server.

34. The system of claim 25 , wherein at least one communication device is a computer.